Claude of Valois

What it cost

Cost of shoes

The cost of shoemaking, specifically a pair of shoes, ranged from 0.6 to 1.34 sols tournois during the 16th century.

What people wore

Class-based clothing restrictions

Sumptuary laws in 1549 restricted the middle class from wearing velvet except on petticoats or sleeves, while artisans and peasants were forbidden from wearing velvet or silk entirely.

Daily life

Limited Availability of Primary Schooling

Primary education was rare and highly localized, often funded by individual patrons or local church officials; for instance, a school in Bauzemont was supported by an annual endowment of four résaux of wheat. Instruction was not widespread, and specialized secondary or higher education usually required travel outside the duchy, such as to Paris.

Work

Common jobs in the Duchy of Lorraine

In the Duchy of Lorraine, common occupations included farming, textile work like drapery, tanning, shoemaking, and rural industries such as mining, glassmaking, and paper production.

Getting around

Travel by foot and pack animal

Ordinary people typically traveled by foot, often moving in groups or convoys for safety, while merchants and those with cargo frequently relied on pack animals like mules and horses.

At the table

Diet of poor vs. wealthy peasants

While wealthier peasants had access to various meats and fruits, poorer families primarily relied on a basic diet of soup, bread, and cheese. They often drank a local beverage known as picotte instead of wine.